Dress and method of dressing

ABSTRACT

A one-piece dress being a generally rectangular blank of fabric with a generally rectangular body receiving opening forming a front skirt panel and a rear cape panel connected by spaced side straps. Dressing method includes positioning body in bodyreceiving opening, facing skirt panel, and pulling skirt panel about waist by crossing straps at back. Cape panel is passed over head and straps recrossed at front, before passing cape panel again over the head so that the cape falls about the shoulders. Opening has rounded corners and a perimeter sufficient to enable the cape panel to be passed over the head according to method, yet being sufficient to snuggly fit the body.

United States Patent 1 Milne [451 June 5, 1973 [54] DRESS AND METHOD OF DRESSING [76] Inventor: Karen Louise Rowden Milne, 41 18 Primary f Hampton Hunter West 11th Avenue, Vancouver, Att0mey Bnan wood British Columbia, Canada [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Mar. 21, 1972 A one-piece dress being a generally rectangular blank [21] PP 236,653 of fabric with a generally rectangular body receiving opening forming a front skirt panel and a rear cape [52] U.S. Cl ..2/74 p l connected y p d s ap Dressing [51] Int. Cl. ..A4ld 1/22 method includes positioning body in body-receiving [58] Field of Search ..2/69, 69.5, 73, 74, opening, facing skirt panel, and pulling skirt panel 2/75, 72 about waist by crossing straps at back. Cape panel is I passed over head and straps recrossed at front, before [56] References Cited passing cape panel again over the head so that the cape falls about the shoulders. Opening has rounded UNITED STATES PATENTS corners and a perimeter sufficient to enable the cape 2,555,962 6/1951 Einstein..... ..2/74 panel to be passed over the head according to method, 2,717,390 9/1955 uz --2/74 yet being sufficient to snuggly fit the body. 2,743,450 5/l956 Kling ....2/74 2,790,974 5/1957 King ..2/74 10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PAIENTEUJun 5191a 3 736 596 SHEEI 1 OF 3 IPATENTEDJUN 5:97a- 3.736.596

' SHEEIBUF 3 1 DRESS AND METHOD OF DRESSING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION clasps, belts, or other fastening means to accommodate differences in womens sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A dressing method and a one-piece dress, both according to the invention, reduce difficulties of the prior art by providing a dress that requires no additional fastening means, one particular size of which dress also being adaptable to accommodate a range of womens sizes. Style and size of the dress is easily changed by making amendment to a blank from which the dress is folded.

The one-piece dress includes a blank of dress fabric having a centrally located body-receiving opening which provides the blank with a front skirt panel and a rear cape panel, connected by left and right hand spaced side straps. The opening has a width and perimeter sufficient to permit the cape panel to pass over a women's head for a first time when the skirt panel is drawn around the waist and the side straps crossed over once, and for the cape panel to pass over the head for a second time after the side straps have been crossed a second time.

A method according to the invention includes positioning the blank of fabric around the womans waist and drawing the skirt panel against the womans front by pulling backwards with the side straps. The side straps are then crossed behind the woman, simultaneously rotating the cape panel and increasing wrapping of the skirt panel around the waist. The cape panel is then passed from back to front over the womans head. The side straps are re-crossed at the womans front, and the cape is thrown back over the head so as to drape over the shoulders.

A detailed description following, relating to the drawings, gives exemplification of the apparatus and A blank of dress fabric 110 according to the invention has, when spread on a flat surface, a length 11 and width 12. The blank has a front skirt panel 14 and a rear cape panel 15 connected by right hand and left hand side straps I7 and I8. Front, rear, right hand and left hand refer to positions when a woman (as shown in FIG. 2) is about to commence a dressing method according to the invention. Portions. of the skirt panel, the cape panel and the side straps define a body-receiving opening 20 having a length 21 and a width 22.

For a woman about five feet ten inches tall and of medium build, the blank length 11 and the width 12 are approximately eight feet and five feet respectively, and the opening length 21 and width 212 are about 28 inches and 23 inches respectively. Clearly variations in length and width of both the blank and the opening are permitt'ed, depending on the personal taste and size of the woman and the style of the dress. There are limitations relating to the length and the width of the opening 20, in particular to twice the sum of the minimum length and width which results in a minimum perimeter for passing portions of the dress over the head in a manner to be described. For the woman above, the perimeter of the opening 24) is about eighty inches. Preferably the fabric is a knit or stretch-fiber type and the blank is cut from the fabric so that maximum stretch runs lengthwise. If a reversible fabric is selected, the woman has a choice of either side of the fabric.

method according to the invention which, however, is

capable of expression in method and means other than those particularly described and illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DISCLOSURE FIG. I

FIGS. 2 and 3 A woman 28, commencing a method of dressing according to the invention, steps into the body-receiving opening 20 when the fabric lies right side uppermost on a surface, the woman facing the front skirt panel 14. After taking the right hand and left hand side straps in right and left hands as seen in FIG. 2, the skirt panel is drawn against the front of the woman by pulling both side straps backwards, as seen in FIG. 3. In such a position the cape panel 15 hangs freely from the side straps behind the woman, and the skirt panel 14 is drawn closely across the front of the waist and the legs.

FIGS. 4 Through 6 With reference to FIG. 4, both hands are then crossed over behind the woman, transferring grip so that the right hand now holds the left hand side strap, and the left hand holds the right hand side strap. As shown the left hand strap 18 is crossed over the right hand strap 17 this can be reversed. In such a position the straps are drawn around the waist and edges of the skirt panel overlap across the back of the skirt, the right side of the skirt fabric being exposed. The crossing of the straps simultaneously rotates the cape above a ver tical axis so that the right side of the fabric of the cape panel faces the back of the woman.

With reference to FIG. 5 the straps are released from the hands and both arms are threaded through the opening 20, remaining circumference of which opening is now less than before but is still sufiicient to permit the side straps to slide up the arms to the shoulders, and to permit the cape to be drawn over the head of the woman so as to assume a position as seen in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6 the woman holds the left hand side strap 18 in her right hand, and the right hand side strap 17 in her left hand and the cape panel hangs freely from the hands, the wrong side of the fabric of the cape panel facing the woman.

FIGS. 7 Through Ml With reference to FIG. 7, the side strap 17 is once again crossed over the strap 18, this time at the front of the woman, and hand grips are reversed so that the right hand once again holds the right hand side strap, the left hand once again holds the left hand side strap. As seen in FIG. 7, for the second crossing of straps the strap 17 initially at the womans left hand side is crossed over the strap 18 initially at the womans right hand side. This is compatible with the first crossing of straps shown in FIG. 4 and reduces accumulation of twists in the straps. If the arrangement of crossed straps shown in FIG. 4 is reversed, i.e., the strap 17 crosses over the strap 18, then the crossing of straps is shown in FIG. 7 is also reversed, i.e., the strap 18 now crosses over the strap 17. Crossing the straps as described in the reversed arrangement makes the second crossing of straps compatible with the first crossing. To further reduce accumulation of twists in the strap, portions of the side straps l7 and 18 adjacent the cape panel are held by the hand as shown in FIG. 7, the hands being pulled apart producing a relatively taut portion 32. The portion 32 is an upper edge of the cape panel which defines a portion of the opening 20, and is now twisted, the right side of the fabric facing the woman. A quick simultaneous jerk of both hands swings the cape panel about the taut portion 32, in a direction shown by an arrow 34, so that the cape panel rotates three hundred sixty degrees about the taut portion and removes the twist, the right side of the fabric remaining facing the woman after the twist.

After the step shown in FIG. 7, the cape is now ready for passing over the head for a second time. With reference to FIG. 8 portions of the cape panel adjacent the side straps and on each side of the opening are held and the head is passed through the opening so that the cape passes completely over the head and falls about the shoulders as seen in FIG. 9. Some adjustment may be necessary to obtain a comfortable fit, and to permit the cape to hang freely from the shoulders, but when worn in one particular style the dress appears as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

Alternatives With reference to FIG. 1, the blank 10 and the opening are shown to be generally rectangular in outline with rounded corners. Many variations in the shape and size of both are possible, being limited by the womans size, the perimeter of the opening and lengths of the dress and cape desired. The length 11 of the blank is within a range from five feet to eleven feet depending on the height of the woman and the desired length of the skirt and cape. The width 12 of the blank is between four and five feet depending on the build of the woman. Thus for a particular size of woman and length of skirt and cape, the blank could approximate to a square with rounded corners, or to a circle or other elliptical or oval shape. The opening can be elliptical, oval or rectangular with rounded corners as shown, the length 21 being between 24 inches and 32 inches and the width 22 being between 21 inches and 25 inches, ratio of length to width and radius of the rounded corners being such that the perimeter is within a range from five feet to seven feet. Position of the opening on the blank determining relative lengths of the skirt and cape and as such can be positioned to obtain desired lengths. Rounded comers of generous radius in the opening 20 are particularly important as a sharp corner or small radius is likely to produce excessive folding and to increase risk of tearing the fabric.

I claim:

1. A one-piece dress to be worn by a woman, the dress including a blank (10) of fabric having:

a. a centrally located body-receiving opening (20), the opening providing the blank with a front skirt panel (14) and a rear cape panel (15) and right and left hand side straps (17, 18),

b. the blank having a width (12) and the opening having a perimeter sufficient to enable the cape panel, when the woman is standing in the opening and the blank is positioned at about waist level and the skirt panel is drawn against the front by crossing the side straps at the back, to be passed from back to front over the womans head so that the skirt panel overlaps below the waist at the back,

c. the perimeter of the opening is sufficient to permit said side straps to be subsequently crossed at the womans front and the cape panel passed from front to back over the womans head so that the cape panel falls loosely about the shoulders permitting movement whilst being supported on the shoulders.

2. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the opening has a length (21) between 24 inches and 32 inches, a width (22) between 21 and 25 inches resulting in a perimeter having a length between 5 feet and 7 feet.

3. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the blank has a length (21) between 5 feet and l l feet and a width (22) between 4 feet and 5 feet.

4. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the opening has a length (21) of about 28 inches and a width (22) of about 23 inches.

5. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the blank has a length of about 8 feet, and a width of about 5 feet.

6. A method of dressing with a one-piece dress, the dress including a blank (10) of fabric having a front skirt panel (14), a rear cape panel (15) spaced longitudinally of the skirt panel and spaced right hand and left hand side straps (17, 18) connecting the panels so as to provide a body-receiving opening (20), the method including steps of:

a. positioning the blank of fabric so that the woman s body passes through the body-receiving opening and the skirt panel is at the front and the cape panel is at the rear,

b. holding the right and left hand side straps in right and left hands at waist height and drawing the skirt panel against the front by moving both hands backwards,

c. crossing the side straps behind the back by interchanging hands on the side straps so as to rotate the cape panel whilst wrapping the skirt panel around the waist,

d. passing the straps and cape panel from back to front over the woman 5 head so that when the side straps are held at waist height the cape panel hangs in front of the woman,

e. recrossing the side straps at the front by interchanging hands on the side straps for a second time so as to rotate the cape panel,

f. passing the cape panel from front to back over the womans head,

5 6 g. draping the cape panel about the woman s shoulj. in step (e) the right hand side strap passes over the ders. left hand side strap so as to reduce accumulation of 7. Method as defined in claim 6 in which the method twists in the side strap. is further characterized by: 9. A method of dressing as defined in claim 6 in h. after the step (e) above, the cape panel is swung 5 which the central opening has a length (21) between 24 about an edge adjacent and extending between inches and 32 inches and a width (22) between 21 straps so as to reduce accumulation of twists of the inches and 25 inches resulting in a perimeter having a side straps. length between 5 feet and 7 feet. 8. A method of dressing as defined in claim 6, the 10. A method of dressing as defined in claim 6 in method being further characterized by: which the blank has a length (21) of between feet and i. in step (c) the left hand side strap (18) passes over eleven feet and a width between 4 feet and 5 feet.

the right hand side strap (17'), g 

1. A one-piece dress to be worn by a woman, the dress including a blank (10) of fabric having: a. a centrally located body-receiving opening (20), the opening providing the blank with a front skirt panel (14) and a rear cape panel (15) and right and left hand side straps (17, 18), b. the blank having a width (12) and the opening having a perimeter sufficient to enable the cape panel, when the woman is standing in the opening and the blank is positioned at about waist level and the skirt panel is drawn against the front by crossing the side straps at the back, to be passed from back to front over the woman''s head so that the skirt panel overlaps below the waist at the back, c. the perimeter of the opening is sufficient to permit said side straps to be subsequently crossed at the woman''S front and the cape panel passed from front to back over the woman''s head so that the cape panel falls loosely about the shoulders permitting movement whilst being supported on the shoulders.
 2. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the opening has a length (21) between 24 inches and 32 inches, a width (22) between 21 and 25 inches resulting in a perimeter having a length between 5 feet and 7 feet.
 3. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the blank has a length (21) between 5 feet and 11 feet and a width (22) between 4 feet and 5 feet.
 4. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the opening has a length (21) of about 28 inches and a width (22) of about 23 inches.
 5. A one-piece dress as defined in claim 1 in which the blank has a length of about 8 feet, and a width of about 5 feet.
 6. A method of dressing with a one-piece dress, the dress including a blank (10) of fabric having a front skirt panel (14), a rear cape panel (15) spaced longitudinally of the skirt panel and spaced right hand and left hand side straps (17, 18) connecting the panels so as to provide a body-receiving opening (20), the method including steps of: a. positioning the blank of fabric so that the woman''s body passes through the body-receiving opening and the skirt panel is at the front and the cape panel is at the rear, b. holding the right and left hand side straps in right and left hands at waist height and drawing the skirt panel against the front by moving both hands backwards, c. crossing the side straps behind the back by interchanging hands on the side straps so as to rotate the cape panel whilst wrapping the skirt panel around the waist, d. passing the straps and cape panel from back to front over the woman''s head so that when the side straps are held at waist height the cape panel hangs in front of the woman, e. recrossing the side straps at the front by interchanging hands on the side straps for a second time so as to rotate the cape panel, f. passing the cape panel from front to back over the woman''s head, g. draping the cape panel about the woman''s shoulders.
 7. Method as defined in claim 6 in which the method is further characterized by: h. after the step (e) above, the cape panel is swung about an edge adjacent and extending between straps so as to reduce accumulation of twists of the side straps.
 8. A method of dressing as defined in claim 6, the method being further characterized by: i. in step (c) the left hand side strap (18) passes over the right hand side strap (17), j. in step (e) the right hand side strap passes over the left hand side strap so as to reduce accumulation of twists in the side strap.
 9. A method of dressing as defined in claim 6 in which the central opening has a length (21) between 24 inches and 32 inches and a width (22) between 21 inches and 25 inches resulting in a perimeter having a length between 5 feet and 7 feet.
 10. A method of dressing as defined in claim 6 in which the blank has a length (21) of between 5 feet and eleven feet and a width between 4 feet and 5 feet. 